Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, R., pledged to be the media's "worst freaking nightmare for eight years" if she's elected, saying Tuesday she would "reform the media."
Lake, a former local TV journalist known for her barbs against the press, lit into a CBS reporter after he asked if she would serve a full term if elected, noting political rumors that she would be Donald Trump's running mate if he runs for president in 2024.
"I am going to not only be the governor of Arizona for four years," she said. "I am going to do two terms. I'm going to be your worst freaking nightmare for eight years, and we will reform the media as well. We are going to make you guys into journalists again."
"So get ready. It's going to be a fun eight years," she added. "I can't wait to be working with you guys for eight years."
Kari Lake told reporters Tuesday she would be their "worst freaking nightmare" as Arizona governor if elected. (Fox News)
KARI LAKE ON CAMPAIGN HQ RECEIVING ‘SUSPICIOUS’ ITEMS IN THE MAIL: ‘WE’RE IN DANGEROUS TIMES'
Lake added she would be "so thrilled" if Trump does run again, saying he needed to return to office to fix everything President Biden had "screwed up."
Lake held forth with journalists for several minutes after voting in Phoenix, clashing with reporters who pressed her on rhetoric about concern with election integrity. She called her opponent, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, "incompetent" and reiterated she should have recused herself from overseeing the election.
Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, speaking here at a get out the vote campaign rally on November 05, 2022 in Chandler, Arizona, vowed to "reform the media" if elected. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Lake has made the media a frequent target on the campaign trail, calling them "monsters," "fake news" and suggesting they should be defunded.
Tuesday was no different, as she pointed at the crowd of media around her and saying she saw several fake news "propagandists" in attendance.
Conservative supporters have often shared clips of her clashing with various journalists or batting away their questions. Her continued claims that the 2020 election in Arizona – where Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate in 24 years to lose the state – was tainted by fraud, have been particularly subject to media scrutiny.
On the other side, Hobbs took media criticism for never debating Lake during the election season. No Democrat has won the state governor's race since 2006.
The election come on the heels of Lake's headquarters being forced to shut down Sunday after her staffers opened an envelope containing a suspicious white powder. Lake told Fox News on Monday that members of the FBI, local law enforcement, fire department and bomb squad responded immediately. Multiple envelopes were retrieved by law enforcement for analysis, but the results have not yet been shared with her, she said.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, pictured with Arizona Republican on October 09, 2022 in Mesa, Arizona. She told reporters today she would be "so thrilled" if Trump ran for president again so he can fix what she says President Biden "screwed up." (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
"We had delivered at our office a couple of envelopes that had white powder in them, one of them our staffer opened up and immediately realized there was a problem with it, threw it in the garbage can and then another staffer grabbed it from the garbage can and then all of a sudden we had several people exposed to it," Lake said on "Tucker Carlson Tonight."
The suspicious powder was accompanied by "incredibly vulgar and threatening" letters, Lake revealed.
"We take it as a legitimate threat, but we’re just happy our staffers are okay," she said, adding that while she's been busy on the campaign trail in the waning hours before Election Day, she has been regularly monitoring the health of her exposed staffers.
"So far, so good, but we are counting on the FBI to let us know if we should be concerned of any danger," she said.
While Lake found the attack against her campaign disturbing, she appeared unfazed, telling Carlson that she's bracing for "much more" because of her desire to fight drug trafficking at the border.
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Fox News' Yael Halon contributed to this report.
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